Kiritappu

Kiritappu (霧多布) is in Hamanaka town located between Kushiro city and Nemuro city. "Kiri (霧)" of Kiritappu means "Fog" in Japanese. It is said that the name of the Kiritappu means "A place that a lot of fog occur". But the true origin of the name is "A place that people cut miscanthus reed (茅を刈る場所)" in the Ainu language. The name is happen to get the fog. Temperature rarely exceeds 20 degrees, and it is chilly by the fog even in a summer. There are famous tourist attractions such as Cape Kiritappu (霧多布岬), Cape Azechi (アゼチの岬) and Kiritappu Wetland (霧多布湿原) to see superb views, and Namidamisaki Observatoion Deck (涙岬展望台) and Chanai Rakuno Observatoion Tower (茶内酪農展望台) are a little far from the Kiritappu, but those are tourist atractions with very good views. By the way, Japanese movie "Hanamizuki (ハナミズキ)" that Mr. Nobuhiro Doi (土井裕泰) produced, and Ms. Yui Aragaki (新垣結衣), a popular actress, and Mr. Toma Ikuta (生田斗真), a popular actor, played the leading characters was filmed in Kiritappu Peninsula.

Miscanthus Reed Grow Thick

Speaking of the Hamanaka, it is the birthplace of Mr. Monkey Punch (モンキーパンチ), an original author of Lupin the Third (ルパン三世), and main characters such as the Lupin the Third, Daisuke Jigen (次元大介), Goemon Ishikawa (石川五ェ門), Fujiko Mine (峰不二子) and Inspector Zenigata (銭形警部) introduce the Hamanaka here and there. In addition, The Hamanaka is famous for Haagen-Dazs using Choice Hokkaido 4.0 Milk (特選・北海道4.0牛乳) of Takanashi Milk Products (タカナシ乳業), and a soft serve ice cream using that milk is sold at Corp Hamanaka (コープはまなか), and it is so popular. By the way, a day trip onsen is available at the Kiritappu Onsen Yuyu.

Kiritappu Wetland

The Kiritappu Wetland has the 5th largest area, 3,168 ha, after Kushiro Wetland (釧路湿原), Bekkanbeushigawa Wetland (別寒辺牛川流域湿原), Konsengenya Wetland Groups (根釧原野湿原群) and Sarobetsu Plain (サロベツ原野) in Japan, and has been designed as the Ramsar Convention Wetland since 1993. It is called the wetland of flowers (花の湿原), and Corydalis Ambigua and Skunk Cabbage are in funll bloom in May, and Cotton Grass, Yezo Dailylily and Gentiana triflora bloom sequentially from June to August, and about 400 types of wild flowers can be seen. A lot of wild birds can be seen, too, and about 100-200 types of the wild birds such as Japanese Crane, Swan, Steller's Sea Eagle, Solitary Snipe and Common Redshank inhait here.

3 facilities, Kiritappu Wetland National Trust (霧多布湿原ナショナルトラスト), Kiritappu Wetland Center (霧多布湿原センター) and Biwase Observation Deck (琵琶瀬展望台), and 4 wooden paths, the Biwase Wooden Path, the Naka-no-Hama Wooden Path, Okubiwase Wooden Path (奥琵琶瀬木道) and Yachibozu Wooden Path (やちぼうず木道), are built on the wetland and around the wetland, and tourists can observe the wetland, and can see the wetland along MG (Marshy Grassland) road.

Kiritappu Wetland National Trust

Kiritappu Wetland National Trust (霧多布湿原ナショナルトラスト) is a specified nonprofit corporation established for the protection of the wetland in 1986 in Hamanaka town located between Kushiro city and Nemuro city, and has wetland observation facilities in the south side of the Kiritappu Wetland. Information Center, Cafe YACHIBOUZU, Biwase Wooden Path (琵琶瀬木道), Naka-no-Hama Wooden Path (仲の浜木道) and a parking lot are built on the site, and visitors can go a tour, and can take a break. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. Read More

Kiritappu Wetland Center

Kiritappu Wetland Center (霧多布湿原センター) is a tourist attraction facility with viewing the whole wetland on a small hill in the west side of Kiritappu Wetland (霧多布湿原) in Hamanaka town located between Kushiro city and Nemuro city. There are Museum Shop, Display Hall and a restroom on the 1st floor, and there are Kiritappu Cafe, a library, a restroom and Outlook Hall on the 2nd hall, and wooden toys and tasty Komatsu Milk (小松牛乳) are popular. In addition, Nature Tour is held, too. They rent outdoor goods, and the visitors can rent a mountain bike for JPY 1,000, and can rent boots or binoculars to observe the wetland, too. Yachibozu Wooden Path (やちぼうず木道) is built at the foot of the Kiritappu Wetland Center. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. Read More

Yachibozu Wooden Path

Biwase Observation Deck

Biwase Observation Deck (琵琶瀬展望台) is on a hill in the south side of Kiritappu Wetland (霧多布湿原), Hamanaka town is located between Kushiro city and Nemuro city. An observation house of one story is built along Hokkaido Road 129. The Kiritappu Wetland can be seen from the north side, and the Pacific ocean can be seen from the south side, so 360-degree view can be enjoyed. There are the observation deck, Shop "Fuji" (物産店「ふじ」), a public restroom and a parking lot on the site. Pumpkin dumpling (カボチャ団子) of the Fuji is popular. The Fuji may open from late April to early November, but it sometimes does not open. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. Read More

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Kiritappu Wetland

Okubiwase Wildbird Park

Okubiwase Wildbird Park (奥琵琶瀬野鳥公園) is at the south side of Kiritappu Wetland (霧多布湿原), Hamanaka town is located between Kushiro city and Nemuro city. In 2004, Kiritappu Wetland National Trust (霧多布ナショナルトラスト) bought this land, and built a wooden path and a birdwatching place. There are the wooden path, the birdwatching place and a parking lot on the site. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. Read More

Okubiwase Wooden Path

Kiritappu Peninsula

Kiritappu Peninsula is the center of the Hamanaka. Only the north side is a lowland residential area, and excet there, steep cliffs with 40-60 m in height extend. The Kiritappu Peninsula and Kenbokki Island from the Kiritappu Wetland Center look like large castle walls in Chinese movie, I wonder as if the ground are CG. The Kiritappu Peninsula used to link the Hokkaido mainland by sand reef. But the sea separates the Kiritappu Peninsula from the Hokkaido mainland by an earthquake. At present, those are linked by Kiritappu Great Bridge (霧多布大橋). The eastern tip of the peninsula is the Cape Kiritappu, and the western tip is the Cape Azechi. Both have marvelous views.

Cape Kiritappu

Cape Kiritappu (霧多布岬) is a cape jutting out into the Pacific Ocean in the eastern edge of Kiritappu Peninsula (霧多布半島), Hamanaka town is located between Kushiro city and Nemuro city, and its formal name is Cape Yufutsu (湯沸岬). Another name is Cape Tokkari (トッカリ岬) because Tokkari that means an earless seal in Ainu language are sometimes seen around the cape. The earless seals inhabit Hokakeiwa Rock (帆掛岩) indeed. Steep cliffs with 40-60 m in height extend, and the strong wind and angry waves from the Pacific ocean create this strange topography. Sceneries from here are good, too, and here is a shooting place for Japanese Movie "Hanamizuki (ハナミズキ)" that Ms. Yui Aragaki (新垣結衣) and Mr. Toma Ikuta (生田斗真) played the leading characters. In addition, a song "Cape Kiritappu" sung by Ms. Atsuko Asada (浅田あつこ), a Japanese enka singer, uses here as a motif. Yufutsu-misaki Lighthouse (湯沸岬灯台) is on the Cape Kiritappu, and Kiritappu-misaki Observation Deck (霧多布岬展望台), Kiritappu-misaki Campsite (霧多布岬キャンプ場) and Etopirikamura (えとぴりか村) are near here. Read More

Cape Yufutsu

Cape Azechi

Cape Azechi (アゼチの岬) is a cape jutting out into the Pacific Ocean in the western edge of Kiritappu Peninsula (霧多布半島), Hamanaka town is located between Kushiro city and Nemuro city, and was named after Mr. Azechi (畦地) that used to live. Kojima Island (小島), Gome Island (ゴメ島) and Kenbokki Island (嶮暮帰島) floating in Gulf of Biwase (琵琶瀬湾) can be seen from a steep cliff with about 40 m in height. There is nothing with disturbing views, and the superb view can be enjoyed. Here is a shooting place for Japanese Movie "Hanamizuki (ハナミズキ)" that Ms. Yui Aragaki (新垣結衣) and Mr. Toma Ikuta (生田斗真) played the leading characters. Seabird named Fratercula cirrhata (エトピリカ), a endangered specie, seems to build a nest on uninhabited island around here, too. Azechi-misaki Lookout (アゼチ岬展望台), a garden, a parking lot and a public restroom are built on the site. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. Read More

Gulf of Biwase

Other Tourist Attractions

There are some tourist attractions as well as the Kiritappu Wetland and the Kiritappu Peninsula, and Cape Namida (涙岬) and the Chanai Rakuno Observatoion Tower are relatively famous. Except those, Sakaki-machi Ikoi-no-Hiroba Park (榊町いこいの広場), Urayakotan Paking Lot Park (羨古丹駐車公園), MO－TTO Kazete (MO－TTOかぜて) and Nagisano Drive Way (なぎさのドライブウェイ) are known. In the Sakaki-machi Ikoi-no-Hiroba Park and the Urayakotan Paking Lot Park, beautiful sea sceneries can be seen. In the MO－TTO Kazete, visitors can have a chance to make ice cream or sausage. In the Nagisano Drive Way, people can drive a car on the beach, but the car may be buried under the sand, so take care driving. Hichirippu Swamp and Mochirippu Swamp do not have a tourist attraction.

Cape Namida

Cape Namida (涙岬) is in the Akkeshi side of Hamanaka town located between Kushiro city and Nemuro city, and is a little far from Kiritappu (霧多布). A parking lot is built along Hokkaido Road 123, and the Cape Namida and Tachi-iwa Rock (立岩) can be seen on each sheer cliffs. Namida (涙) means "Tear", and Tachi (立) means "Standing" in Japanese, and another name of the Cape Namida is "Tears of Young Lady" (乙女の涙), and was named after shape of the rocks that looks like a sorrowful woman from the side. Speaking of "Tears of Young Lady", Frepe Falls in Shiretoko Peninsula is famous, but this "Tears of Young Lady" does not fall water. There are walks, an observation deck and the parking lot on the site. By the way, a song of "Cape Namida" sung by Ms. Sayuri Ishikawa (石川さゆり), a Japanese famous enka singer, seems to use here as a motif. I do not know details, but its lyrics evokes the Cape Namida in the Hamanaka. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. Read More

Cape Namida. It Looks Like Side of Woman's Side Face

Chanai Rakuno Observatoion Tower

Chanai Rakuno Observatoion Tower (茶内酪農展望台) is an outlook tower in Hamanaka town between Kushiro city and Nemuro city, and is built near Chanai Parking Area (茶内パーキングエリア) along Konsen National Route (National Route 44). There are Restraunt "Moumou-tei" (もうもう亭), a public restroom and a parking lot at the Chanai Parking Area. Drivers can take a rest. By the way, the Moumou-tei is popular for cats and a soft serve ice cream. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. Read More

Chanai Rakuno Observatoion Tower

List of Activities

5 rivers, Ichiban River (一番川), Niban River (二番川), Biwase River (琵琶瀬川), the Doro River (泥川) and Shinkawa River (新川) flow into the wetlands of about 3,000 ha, and it preserves various ecosystem. The Kiritappu Wetland is rich nature. Some activities such as a canoe tour, hiking and birdwatching are held. Refer to following websites for the activities. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.

Blog Writer:good! hokkaido!

I am from Nayoro, and used to live in Kushiro and Sapporo, and have been back Hokkaido after I lived in Kanagawa prefecture for 14 years again. Around 50-year-Japanese old boy mainly have released articles that I found nature, tourist attractions, onsen and foods in the Hokkaido to the non-Hokkaido people. I am bad English, so I apologize if you do not understand the meaning. Using photos are my photos, free images, various tourism associations’ photos and photos cited from official websites and so on. Reproduction of my photos and texts from within this site is prohibited.As for my photos, I used to provide those for profit, but I stop providing the photos now. Most of youtube movies belong to others, and I just share those on my blog.